scholarly journals Aurora A and Aurora B jointly coordinate chromosome segregation and anaphase microtubule dynamics

2011 ◽  
Vol 195 (7) ◽  
pp. 1103-1113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Hégarat ◽  
Ewan Smith ◽  
Gowri Nayak ◽  
Shunichi Takeda ◽  
Patrick A. Eyers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Aurora B ◽  
Aurora A Kinase ◽  
Aurora A ◽  
Daughter Cells ◽  
Conditional Deletion ◽  
Alignment Problem ◽  
Single Nucleus ◽  
Bipolar Spindles ◽  
Dt40 Cells

We established a conditional deletion of Aurora A kinase (AurA) in Cdk1 analogue-sensitive DT40 cells to analyze AurA knockout phenotypes after Cdk1 activation. In the absence of AurA, cells form bipolar spindles but fail to properly align their chromosomes and exit mitosis with segregation errors. The resulting daughter cells exhibit a variety of phenotypes and are highly aneuploid. Aurora B kinase (AurB)–inhibited cells show a similar chromosome alignment problem and cytokinesis defects, resulting in binucleate daughter cells. Conversely, cells lacking AurA and AurB activity exit mitosis without anaphase, forming polyploid daughter cells with a single nucleus. Strikingly, inhibition of both AurA and AurB results in a failure to depolymerize spindle microtubules (MTs) in anaphase after Cdk1 inactivation. These results suggest an essential combined function of AurA and AurB in chromosome segregation and anaphase MT dynamics.

scholarly journals Aurora A kinase phosphorylates Hec1 to regulate metaphase kinetochore–microtubule dynamics

2017 ◽  
Vol 217 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith F. DeLuca ◽  
Amanda Meppelink ◽  
Amanda J. Broad ◽  
Jeanne E. Mick ◽  
Olve B. Peersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Microtubule Dynamics ◽  
Aurora B ◽  
Aurora A Kinase ◽  
Aurora A ◽  
Tail Domain ◽  
Mitotic Chromosomes ◽  
Metaphase Chromosomes ◽  
Mitotic Kinases ◽  
Microtubule Attachment

Precise regulation of kinetochore–microtubule attachments is essential for successful chromosome segregation. Central to this regulation is Aurora B kinase, which phosphorylates kinetochore substrates to promote microtubule turnover. A critical target of Aurora B is the N-terminal “tail” domain of Hec1, which is a component of the NDC80 complex, a force-transducing link between kinetochores and microtubules. Although Aurora B is regarded as the “master regulator” of kinetochore–microtubule attachment, other mitotic kinases likely contribute to Hec1 phosphorylation. In this study, we demonstrate that Aurora A kinase regulates kinetochore–microtubule dynamics of metaphase chromosomes, and we identify Hec1 S69, a previously uncharacterized phosphorylation target site in the Hec1 tail, as a critical Aurora A substrate for this regulation. Additionally, we demonstrate that Aurora A kinase associates with inner centromere protein (INCENP) during mitosis and that INCENP is competent to drive accumulation of the kinase to the centromere region of mitotic chromosomes. These findings reveal that both Aurora A and B contribute to kinetochore–microtubule attachment dynamics, and they uncover an unexpected role for Aurora A in late mitosis.

scholarly journals Aurora A inhibition limits centrosome clustering and promotes mitotic catastrophe in cells with supernumerary centrosomes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernat Navarro-Serer ◽  
Eva P Childers ◽  
Nicole M Hermance ◽  
Dayna Mercadante ◽  
Amity L Manning
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Spindle Pole ◽  
Mitotic Catastrophe ◽  
Aurora A Kinase ◽  
Aurora A ◽  
Mitotic Spindles ◽  
Bipolar Spindle ◽  
Daughter Cells ◽  
In Cells

AbstractThe presence of supernumerary centrosomes is prevalent in cancer, where they promote the formation of transient multipolar mitotic spindles. Active clustering of supernumerary centrosomes enables the formation of a functional bipolar spindle that is competent to complete a bipolar division. Disruption of spindle pole clustering in cancer cells promotes multipolar division and generation of non-proliferative daughter cells with compromised viability. Hence molecular pathways required for spindle pole clustering in cells with supernumerary centrosomes, but dispensable in normal cells, are promising therapeutic targets. Here we demonstrate that Aurora A kinase activity is required for spindle pole clustering in cells with extra centrosomes. While cells with two centrosomes are ultimately able to build a bipolar spindle and proceed through a normal cell division in the presence of Aurora A inhibition, cells with supernumerary centrosomes form multipolar and disorganized spindles that are not competent for chromosome segregation. Instead, following a prolonged mitosis, these cells experience catastrophic divisions that result in grossly aneuploid, and non-proliferative daughter cells. Aurora A inhibition in a panel of Acute Myeloid Leukemia cancer cells has a similarly disparate impact on cells with supernumerary centrosomes, suggesting that centrosome number and spindle polarity may serve as predictive biomarkers for response to therapeutic approaches that target Aurora A kinase function.

scholarly journals Spindle assembly and cytokinesis in the absence of chromosomes during Drosophila male meiosis

2003 ◽  
Vol 160 (7) ◽  
pp. 993-999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Bucciarelli ◽  
Maria Grazia Giansanti ◽  
Silvia Bonaccorsi ◽  
Maurizio Gatti
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Spindle Assembly ◽  
Male Meiosis ◽  
Aurora B ◽  
Aurora B Kinase ◽  
Spindle Formation ◽  
Central Spindle ◽  
Morphological Transformations ◽  
Bipolar Spindles ◽  
Drosophila Mutants

Alarge body of work indicates that chromosomes play a key role in the assembly of both acentrosomal and centrosome-containing spindles. In animal systems, the absence of chromosomes either prevents spindle formation or allows the assembly of a metaphase-like spindle that fails to evolve into an ana-telophase spindle. Here, we show that Drosophila secondary spermatocytes can assemble morphologically normal spindles in the absence of chromosomes. The Drosophila mutants fusolo and solofuso are severely defective in chromosome segregation and produce secondary spermatocytes that are devoid of chromosomes. The centrosomes of these anucleated cells form robust asters that give rise to bipolar spindles that undergo the same ana-telophase morphological transformations that characterize normal spindles. The cells containing chromosome-free spindles are also able to assemble regular cytokinetic structures and cleave normally. In addition, chromosome-free spindles normally accumulate the Aurora B kinase at their midzones. This suggests that the association of Aurora B with chromosomes is not a prerequisite for its accumulation at the central spindle, or for its function during cytokinesis.

scholarly journals Differentiation of Cytoplasmic and Meiotic Spindle Assembly MCAK Functions by Aurora B-dependent Phosphorylation

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 2895-2906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryoma Ohi ◽  
Tanuj Sapra ◽  
Jonathan Howard ◽  
Timothy J. Mitchison
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Spindle Assembly ◽  
Microtubule Dynamics ◽  
Meiotic Spindle ◽  
Aurora B ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Dynamic Nature ◽  
Spindle Microtubule ◽  
Bipolar Spindles

The KinI kinesin MCAK is a microtubule depolymerase important for governing spindle microtubule dynamics during chromosome segregation. The dynamic nature of spindle assembly and chromosome-microtubule interactions suggest that mechanisms must exist that modulate the activity of MCAK, both spatially and temporally. In Xenopus extracts, MCAK associates with and is stimulated by the inner centromere protein ICIS. The inner centromere kinase Aurora B also interacts with ICIS and MCAK raising the possibility that Aurora B may regulate MCAK activity as well. Herein, we demonstrate that recombinant Aurora B-INCENP inhibits Xenopus MCAK activity in vitro in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Substituting endogenous MCAK in Xenopus extracts with the alanine mutant XMCAK-4A, which is resistant to inhibition by Aurora B-INCENP, led to assembly of mono-astral and monopolar structures instead of bipolar spindles. The size of these structures and extent of tubulin polymerization in XMCAK-4A extracts indicate that XM-CAK-4A is not defective for microtubule dynamics regulation throughout the cytoplasm. We further demonstrate that the ability of XMCAK-4A to localize to inner centromeres is abolished. Our results show that MCAK regulation of cytoplasmic and spindle-associated microtubules can be differentiated by Aurora B-dependent phosphorylation, and they further demonstrate that this regulation is required for bipolar meiotic spindle assembly.

scholarly journals Excess TPX2 Interferes with Microtubule Disassembly and Nuclei Reformation at Mitotic Exit

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco D. Naso ◽  
Valentina Sterbini ◽  
Elena Crecca ◽  
Italia A. Asteriti ◽  
Alessandra D. Russo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Spindle Assembly ◽  
Transformed Cells ◽  
Aurora A Kinase ◽  
Aurora A ◽  
Truncated Form ◽  
Daughter Cells ◽  
Lamin B1 ◽  
Mitotic Spindle Assembly ◽  
Nuclear Reconstitution

The microtubule-associated protein TPX2 is a key mitotic regulator that contributes through distinct pathways to spindle assembly. A well-characterised function of TPX2 is the activation, stabilisation and spindle localisation of the Aurora-A kinase. High levels of TPX2 are reported in tumours and the effects of its overexpression have been investigated in cancer cell lines, while little is known in non-transformed cells. Here we studied TPX2 overexpression in hTERT RPE-1 cells, using either the full length TPX2 or a truncated form unable to bind Aurora-A, to identify effects that are dependent—or independent—on its interaction with the kinase. We observe significant defects in mitotic spindle assembly and progression through mitosis that are more severe when overexpressed TPX2 is able to interact with Aurora-A. Furthermore, we describe a peculiar, and Aurora-A-interaction-independent, phenotype in telophase cells, with aberrantly stable microtubules interfering with nuclear reconstitution and the assembly of a continuous lamin B1 network, resulting in daughter cells displaying doughnut-shaped nuclei. Our results using non-transformed cells thus reveal a previously uncharacterised consequence of abnormally high TPX2 levels on the correct microtubule cytoskeleton remodelling and G1 nuclei reformation, at the mitosis-to-interphase transition.

Mitotic requirement for aurora A kinase is bypassed in the absence of aurora B kinase

FEBS Letters ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 579 (16) ◽  
pp. 3385-3391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Yang ◽  
Teresa Burke ◽  
Jack Dempsey ◽  
Bruce Diaz ◽  
Elizabeth Collins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aurora B ◽  
Aurora A Kinase ◽  
Aurora A ◽  
Aurora B Kinase

scholarly journals An Aurora A-Lats-Aurora B axis ensures proper chromosome segregation

Cell Cycle ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
pp. 3055-3055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noa Furth ◽  
Moshe Oren
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Aurora B ◽  
Aurora A

scholarly journals Aurora A Phosphorylates MCAK to Control Ran-dependent Spindle Bipolarity

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 2752-2765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Zhang ◽  
Stephanie C. Ems-McClung ◽  
Claire E. Walczak
Keyword(s):  
Phosphorylation Site ◽  
Aurora B ◽  
Aurora A ◽  
Spindle Formation ◽  
Chromatin Region ◽  
Spindle Poles ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Xenopus Egg ◽  
Xenopus Egg Extracts ◽  
Bipolar Spindles

During mitosis, mitotic centromere-associated kinesin (MCAK) localizes to chromatin/kinetochores, a cytoplasmic pool, and spindle poles. Its localization and activity in the chromatin region are regulated by Aurora B kinase; however, how the cytoplasmic- and pole-localized MCAK are regulated is currently not clear. In this study, we used Xenopus egg extracts to form spindles in the absence of chromatin and centrosomes and found that MCAK localization and activity are tightly regulated by Aurora A. This regulation is important to focus microtubules at aster centers and to facilitate the transition from asters to bipolar spindles. In particular, we found that MCAK colocalized with NuMA and XMAP215 at the center of Ran asters where its activity is regulated by Aurora A-dependent phosphorylation of S196, which contributes to proper pole focusing. In addition, we found that MCAK localization at spindle poles was regulated through another Aurora A phosphorylation site (S719), which positively enhances bipolar spindle formation. This is the first study that clearly defines a role for MCAK at the spindle poles as well as identifies another key Aurora A substrate that contributes to spindle bipolarity.

scholarly journals Mitotic Phosphorylation of Histone H3: Spatio-Temporal Regulation by Mammalian Aurora Kinases

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 874-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Crosio ◽  
Gian Maria Fimia ◽  
Romain Loury ◽  
Masashi Kimura ◽  
Yukio Okano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Transformation ◽  
Histone H3 ◽  
Aurora B ◽  
Chromosome Loss ◽  
Aurora A Kinase ◽  
Aurora A ◽  
H3 Phosphorylation ◽  
Spatio Temporal

ABSTRACT Phosphorylation at a highly conserved serine residue (Ser-10) in the histone H3 tail is considered to be a crucial event for the onset of mitosis. This modification appears early in the G2 phase within pericentromeric heterochromatin and spreads in an ordered fashion coincident with mitotic chromosome condensation. Mutation of Ser-10 is essential in Tetrahymena, since it results in abnormal chromosome segregation and extensive chromosome loss during mitosis and meiosis, establishing a strong link between signaling and chromosome dynamics. Although mitotic H3 phosphorylation has been long recognized, the transduction routes and the identity of the protein kinases involved have been elusive. Here we show that the expression of Aurora-A and Aurora-B, two kinases of the Aurora/AIK family, is tightly coordinated with H3 phosphorylation during the G2/M transition. During the G2 phase, the Aurora-A kinase is coexpressed while the Aurora-B kinase colocalizes with phosphorylated histone H3. At prophase and metaphase, Aurora-A is highly localized in the centrosomic region and in the spindle poles while Aurora-B is present in the centromeric region concurrent with H3 phosphorylation, to then translocate by cytokinesis to the midbody region. Both Aurora-A and Aurora-B proteins physically interact with the H3 tail and efficiently phosphorylate Ser10 both in vitro and in vivo, even if Aurora-A appears to be a better H3 kinase than Aurora-B. Since Aurora-A and Aurora-B are known to be overexpressed in a variety of human cancers, our findings provide an attractive link between cell transformation, chromatin modifications and a specific kinase system.

scholarly journals A Stu2-mediated intrinsic tension-sensing pathway promotes chromosome biorientation in vivo

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew P. Miller ◽  
Rena K. Evans ◽  
Alex Zelter ◽  
Elisabeth A. Geyer ◽  
Michael J. MacCoss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Error Correction ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Aurora B ◽  
Critical Aspect ◽  
Daughter Cells ◽  
Low Tension ◽  
Kinetochore Function ◽  
Segregation Of Chromosomes

ABSTRACTAccurate segregation of chromosomes to daughter cells is a critical aspect of cell division. It requires the kinetochores on duplicated chromosomes to biorient, attaching to microtubules from opposite poles of the cell. Bioriented attachments come under tension, while incorrect attachments lack tension and must be destabilized. A well-studied error correction pathway is mediated by the Aurora B kinase, which destabilizes low tension-bearing attachments. We recently discovered that in vitro, kinetochores display an additional intrinsic tension-sensing pathway that utilizes Stu2. This pathway’s contribution to error correction in cells, however, was unknown. Here, we identify a Stu2 mutant that abolishes its kinetochore function and show that it causes error correction defects in vivo. We also show that this intrinsic tension-sensing pathway functions in concert with the Aurora B-mediated pathway. Together, our work indicates that cells employ at least two pathways to ensure biorientation and the accuracy of chromosome segregation.

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